Ground being broken for $66 m bridge on coast

By JANNETTE PIPPIN - Jannette.Pippin@JDNews.com

Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 10:38 AM.

Stanley thanked the many county and state leaders who have helped to keep the project on track. The groundbreaking ceremony follows more than 10 years of planning and challenges in meeting regulations and requirements for permitting, including State Historical Properties guidelines, federal aviation and airport guidelines, Coast Guard navigation and bridge permits and studies of environmental, motorist/boat traffic and maritime trade impacts.

“This bridge has been the top transportation goal for the county for the last 20 years, and we have many agencies and officials to thank for making this project a reality,” he said.

Stanley said the new bridge will be the third linking Beaufort to “the rest of the world” in its 305 years.

With no delays in traffic from a drawbridge, either due to openings or malfunctions, the new high-rise will allow for a quick and unobstructed link for Down East and Beaufort residents needing to get to Carteret General Hospital or other locations on the Morehead City side for emergencies.

For the town, he said, the project gives Beaufort the opportunity to do some economic planning to boost sales tax revenues and enhance the entrance into downtown.

“We have the opportunity for a water access park at the location of the Grayden Paul bridge once the drawbridge is removed, and through sound planning we can make Beaufort, our historic district, the courthouse area and waterfront businesses more accessible and attractive. We are already at work planning for enhancement of our entry corridors,” he said.

BEAUFORT — While some used shovels, Hugh Overholt did the heavy lifting during Wednesday’s ceremony marking the start of the Gallants Channel Bridge project in Carteret County.

Overholt, a retired Army major general and a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation, gave an excavator a try for the groundbreaking; but quickly turned the equipment back over to the contractor for the project.

Conti Enterprises Inc. of Edison, N.J., was awarded the $66-million contract to replace the drawbridge in Beaufort with a 65-foot fixed span bridge and to widen U.S. 70 to four lanes with a median along a new route from Radio Island to north of Olga Road in Beaufort.

Overholt said an economic impact study was done as part of the planning process, and the new bridge will help open up the area to new business opportunities and help generate jobs for the area.

“This project will have a $22-million positive economic impact,” said Overholt, who filled in for state Transportation Secretary Tony Tata, who was not able to fly into the area due to weather conditions.

Beaufort Mayor Richard Stanley said replacing the 56-year-old drawbridge has been the top transportation goal for the county for the past 20 years.

Stanley thanked the many county and state leaders who have helped to keep the project on track. The groundbreaking ceremony follows more than 10 years of planning and challenges in meeting regulations and requirements for permitting, including State Historical Properties guidelines, federal aviation and airport guidelines, Coast Guard navigation and bridge permits and studies of environmental, motorist/boat traffic and maritime trade impacts.

“This bridge has been the top transportation goal for the county for the last 20 years, and we have many agencies and officials to thank for making this project a reality,” he said.

Stanley said the new bridge will be the third linking Beaufort to “the rest of the world” in its 305 years.

With no delays in traffic from a drawbridge, either due to openings or malfunctions, the new high-rise will allow for a quick and unobstructed link for Down East and Beaufort residents needing to get to Carteret General Hospital or other locations on the Morehead City side for emergencies.

For the town, he said, the project gives Beaufort the opportunity to do some economic planning to boost sales tax revenues and enhance the entrance into downtown.

“We have the opportunity for a water access park at the location of the Grayden Paul bridge once the drawbridge is removed, and through sound planning we can make Beaufort, our historic district, the courthouse area and waterfront businesses more accessible and attractive. We are already at work planning for enhancement of our entry corridors,” he said.

Conti Group CEO Kurt Conti said their goal is to complete the project in 30 months barring weather or unexpected delays. Preliminary work is already underway.

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BEAUFORT (AP) — State Transportation Secretary Tony Tata is joining officials from Beaufort, Morehead City and Carteret County to break ground for a new bridge on U.S. 70 crossing Gallants Channel in Beaufort.

The ceremony is set for Wednesday.

The work consists of replacing the draw bridge on U.S. 70 with a 65-foot high fixed span bridge and rerouting and widening a portion of the highway. The work is expected to be finished in January of 2019.